Beneficial State Bank Wins StopWaste Award

Photo caption: Beneficial State Bank in Oakland won a 2017 StopWaste Business Efficiency Award, presented by Abel Guillen, City of Oakland Councilmember (left).

Beneficial State Bank is a triple bottom-line financial institution headquartered in Oakland, CA with a total of 12 branches in California, Oregon, and Washington. They received a 2017 StopWaste Business Efficiency Award for Excellence in Recycling & Composting for their outstanding environmental performance and business efficiency.

Beneficial’s commitment to waste reduction goes well beyond the requirements under Alameda County’s Mandatory Recycling Ordinance. Beneficial’s purchasing policy promotes reusable food service ware and recycled content products. In line with their zero-waste goals, the Oakland branch’s “Green Team” conducted a waste assessment to evaluate Beneficial’s recycling and composting efforts. The results informed an internal outreach campaign to employees. The program has since expanded to all five original Beneficial State Bank branches, including bi-annual waste audits, improved signage, educational “waste-less” lunch conversations and more.

Annie Claybaugh, Director of Operations for Beneficial State Foundation, credited the “Green Team” at the Oakland branch for leading Beneficial’s efforts to reduce waste to landfill. “Having a dedicated Green Team supported by Executive Leadership at the Bank and Foundation has been our key to success,” said Annie. “There is a strong commitment to zero waste at Beneficial.”

Beneficial’s award was one of five Business Efficiency Awards presented March 22 at the offices of StopWaste, the public agency responsible for reducing waste in Alameda County,. For more information about the 2017 StopWaste Business Efficiency Awards visit www.StopWaste.org/2017awards.